If it weren’t for making me feel so damn good, I definitely would not be an avid juicer.
Beer used to be more my drink of choice. But after a period of feeling sluggish or a little burned out, or perhaps under the weather, I couldn’t be more grateful to juice up some cucumber, celery, greens and ginger with a touch of apple to make it go down smooth and give my body that flush of nutrients it’s been craving.
Just a little revamp!
The energy, the mental clarity, the drop in excess weight, and the skin revitalization are some of named benefits, but my ultimate fave is the pure joy I feel after that initial detoxification.
And by detoxification I mean the sluggishness, bit of a headache, and touch of moodiness kind of stuff.
Cleaning out the trash!
With all the processed foods many of us consume these days, we carry a lot of extra garbage in our cells and just aren’t getting the nutrients our bodies requires. Just adding some fresh vegetable juices to your diet can be extremely beneficial, but attempting a juice cleanse for a few days may help give your body a kick-start to a healthier you.
It can really act as a reset to the system, drop the food cravings and switch up those taste buds to crave more of the good stuff.
The documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead acts as a huge wake up call to our North American ways of eating.
It documents a man named Joe Cross’s journey from being overweight, to embarking on a 60-day juice cleanse as he travels across the United States to share his journey with others — something that should only be ventured under doctor supervision.
His journey is definitely worth the watch.
Don’t be intimidated by the taste of fresh vegetable and fruit juice, but be sure to keep them “alkaline” or more on the green side. Sorry — but it’s important to keep the sweet stuff to a minimum.
Experts will agree that the veggies to be juiced are the ones with the least amount of sugar, so instead of using carrots or apple as your base, use cucumber and celery. Juicing is not meant to be spiking your blood sugar levels.
And if you’re looking to attempt a juice cleanse, be sure to have the help of a qualified practitioner to help walk you through the journey.
It is certainly not for everyone and it is important to be coached through what to eat leading up to one, as well as what to eat as you get back to solid foods.
Looking for recipes or more information? Kick-start your juicing ventures by checking out recipes at the Juice Master website, Juicemaster.com or go to Juice Feasting Coach, Courtneypool.com to read more on her journey and how she may be able to help you!
Kristin Fraser, BSc, is a holistic nutritionist and local freelance writer. Her column appears every second Wednesday. She can be reached at kristin@somethingtochewon.ca.